Will Alabama's Trent Richardson win the Heisman Trophy?

View full sizeThe Associated PressAlabama running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Trent Richardson stands with the trophy after an informal roundtable conference with media members, Friday, Dec. 9, 2011, in New York. The winner will be announced in New York on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

NEW YORK -- Trent Richardson's voice was raspy as if someone had ripped off a piece of sandpaper and rubbed it back-and-forth on the inside of running back's throat.

Alabama's star junior fears flying, but has been jet-setting from Tuscaloosa to Orlando to New York. On Thursday, he was at Disney World for an awards show. He was asked if he lost his voice riding roller coasters.

Turns out it was for bigger thrills.

"I think I lost it (Sunday) when I found out we were in the (BCS) championship game," Richardson said with a laugh. "We were just happy, enjoying the moment that we got into the game.

Richardson traveled here for the first time in his life as an invited guest. He is one of five finalists for the 77th Heisman Trophy, which will be awarded tonight.

Richardson is the second Alabama running back to be invited here in three years. Mark Ingram became the Crimson Tide's first Heisman Trophy winner in 2009 in one of the closest decisions in the award's history.

The past week has been filled with speculation from pundits trying to predict the winner. Clues have been pieced together thanks to voters revealing their votes in various forms of media.

There was enough tangible evidence to shift betting odds to favor Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. Richardson's chances of winning appeared to diminish.

The Heisman didn't have to invite five finalists, and some predict that could indicate a close outcome. The others are LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Wisconsin running back Montee Ball.

Richardson rushed for 1,583 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also added 27 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns.

Reporters crammed into a tight room with four round tables set up for informal interviews with the Heisman finalists. Luck was absent due to a previous engagement.

Mathieu sat across the room from Richardson and received his share of attention. Mathieu was asked if he was surprised when he heard his name as a finalist.

Mathieu was suspended one game for violating a team rule, but his plays were hard to ignore. Beyond his 70 tackles, seven pass breakups and three quarterback hurries were his true impact plays. Six fumbles forced, four fumble recoveries including a pair of touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also had two punt returns for touchdowns.

"I was, I was shocked," Mathieu said. "I'm blessed. All my teammates went crazy. I was surprised when I heard my name. I didn't think that I would make it here with so many quarterbacks, and so many running backs had great years. For me to be the only defensive player, it was a tremendous honor for me."

Ball led the nation in rushing yards with 1,759 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also had 20 catches for 255 yards and six touchdowns. His combined 38 touchdowns are one shy of the 1988 record set by former Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders.

"That's one thing I'm looking forward to doing, but I'm having fun now," Ball said. "I'm soaking this in. I've never been to New York."

At one point, Griffin entered the room and a lot of attention shifted to Baylor's quarterback.

Some questioned Griffin's statistics because he played in the Big 12 and not the SEC. Some questioned Baylor's three losses. But the fact is that Griffin has huge numbers. He threw for 3,998 yards, 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He also had 161 carries for 644 yards and nine touchdowns.

Perhaps his Heisman moment was having a stage to himself in the final weekend of the regular season. While Richardson and Luck sat home and watched, Griffin torched Texas in a 48-24 win with 320 passing yards for two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran 12 times for 32 yards and two touchdowns.

"Those (websites) wouldn't say I was the winner unless I was the winner because their reputation's on the line," Griffin said. "Some of these sites have picked nine out of the last nine, and 10 out of the last 11. They're not going to just throw out a name and say we hope he wins because he's popular.

"You just try to block it out. You're supposed to be nervous. You're supposed to not feel like you're not owed anything. And if your name gets called, you stand up and you forget your speech."